Minnow-bait.



0. F. IMMELL. MINNOW BAIT.

APPLICATION FILED 00w. 12, 1909.

974,493, Patented Nov. 1,1910.

UNITED smalls PATENT OFFICE.

OMEE I. IMMELL, OF BLAIR, WISCONSIN umnow-narr.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OMER F. IMMELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blair, in the county of Trempealeau and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Minnow-Bait, of which the following is a specification. a

The objects of the invention are, generally, the provision, in a merchantable form, of a device of the above mentioned class, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, facile in operation, and devoid of complicated parts; specifically, the provision of an artificial bait including a body of novel and improved construction, and a rotating lure which is adapted to be mounted in the body, the body being so constructed that, as the same moves through the water, the water will readily actuate the lure to its rotation.

Another object is the provision of a pivotally. mounted tail of novel and improved construction.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter de scribed, and delineated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that since the drawings show but one form of the invention, changes may be made, within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan; and Fig. .3 is a transverse section along the rear end of the lure.

The invention includes, as a primary element, a body 1, which may be of any "form, and fashioned from any desired material, the body being so constructed, ornamented, and provided with tail and eyes, that it shall resemble closely a fish. Intermediate its ends and upon its lower surface, the body 1 is cut away, approximately to its longer axis, as denoted by the numeral 2. This opening 2 extends entirely through the body, transversely, and is closed along its lower side by a plate 3, terminally mounted upon the bod this plate 3 representing the belly of the sh. It is, of course, obvious that if desired the plate 3 may constitute an integral part of the body 1.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.,

ends thereof, are hangers 4 in which are ournaled short stub shafts 5 rigidly Secured to the ends of a rotatin lurafi. This lure 6 is preferably fashione from a sheet of metal entirely within the contour of the body 1.

There are oppositel di osed channels 7 1n the side faces .of t e bo d y at both-lends of theolpemntg 2, the channels communicate mg wit sal opening. Those' channels 7 whlch are disposedmp osite to eachother, transversely of the b0 converge as the approach the openin the channels whic are located adjacent t e head of the device, serving to permit access of water to the lure {3, and the channels 7 which are located adacent the tall, serving to permit the water to flow away from the lure 6 after the rotation thereof has been accomplished.

The rear end of the body 1 is transversely slotted, as denoted by the numeral 8, to form arms, and through these arms, and through the opening 8 is-extended an upr' ht pintle 9, adapted to engage the eyes a pair of hooks 10, disposed in a common and normally standing upright as the device moves throu h the water. A plate 11 is provided and-fas ioned to simulate the tail of a fish and this plate 11 is secured to the shanks of the hooks 10, the late terminatmg within the bends of the oaks, and the barbs of the hooks being located in a common plane with the plate 11 and disposed intermediate the ends of the late and spaced from the upper and lower edges thereof.

Gang hooks 12 may be pivotally suspended from the body 1 adjacent the rear end of the lure 6, and a gang hook 14 may be pivotally mounted upon the body 1 to depend from the lower surface thereof adjacent the forward end of the body. The nose of the body may carry a ring 15 or like device adapted to be assembled with a swivel or with a leader, and it is, of course, to be understood that the entire device may be ornamented in any desired combination of colors. By locating the \lure 6 entirely within the contour of the body, the lure is not likely to become broken or bent when the device 1s struck by a fish. Moreover, owing to the location of the lure 6, the same is not likely to be fouled by weeds. As the lure rotates, it will give to the device the appearance of Located within the opening 2 adjacent the" cut into spiral form and housed 0 plane a live fish, the fi ns of which are in active motion. 1 a

,Owin to the location of the-lure 6, the fish wil strike at the bait adjacent the middle thereof, and ordinarily will be caught by the hooks 12. When .the fish thus strikes the bait, the rear end of the body 1 will tend to move away from the fish under the impulse of the strike, the pivoted tail 10 moving at its free end toward-the fish. By this construction, should the fish not become engaged by the hooks 12, the hooks 10 will be so ositioned that they will be likely to impa e the fish. I

Owing to the manner of mounting the plate 11 upl'on the hooks 10, should the fish strike at t e tail of the bait, the plate 11 will not be likely to be bent or broken.

If desired, thrust bearin s for the ends of the shafts 5 ma be provi ed, the same takin the form 0 plates 16 mounted upon the l bo y at the ends of the opening 2.

Having thus described my invention, what 1'. claim is:

A device of the class described comprising a body having an o ening therethrough from one of the side aces of the body to the other; and a spiral lure disposed in said opening and rotatably supported in the body, there being oppositel nels 1n the side faces of t e body at both ends of the opening and communicating therewith, the channels which are disposed op osite to each other, transversely of the be a ing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OMB-1t l IMM ELL.

D. BENRUD.

disposed chan- 5 converging as they approach the open- 5 

